Siege of Plei Me

The Siege of Plei Me was a battle of the Vietnam War which occurred from 19 to 20 October 1965 when US, ARVN, and Montagnard forces successfully defended the US special forces base of Plei Me from the NVA.

In October 1965, thousands of North Vietnamese PAVN regulars slipped south into the Central Highlands along the Ho Chi Minh trail, joining Viet Cong units already in place. They established their own base on and around a jumble of thickly-forested mountains and ravines south of the Ia Drang River. On 19 October, communist commandos slipped to within 40 yards of the perimeter wire of the US special forces outpost of Plei Me, which was held by a 12-man team of US Green Berets, 14 ARVN, and 400 Montagnards. 9 of the 12 Green Berets were hit, and they held out for two days before 15 more Green Berets and 160 ARVN rangers were helicoptered in, commanded by Major Charles Alvin Beckwith. For nearly a week, the NVA repeatedly assaulted Plei Me, and it was only after US bombs and napalm destroyed the surrounding terrain that the enemy withdrew. Beckwith described the Viet Cong as dedicated and the best soldiers he had ever seen; the communist commander, Chu Huy Man, showed his dedication by deliberately seeking another encounter with the Americans.